MANILA will initiate diplomatic talks with Tehran to ensure the safe passage of fuel shipments bound for the Philippines passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route that Iran has shut down as a result of the war in the Middle East.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take the lead on the matter as part of efforts to safeguard the country’s energy supply.
“The president has already instructed Foreign Secretary Tess Lazaro... she will speak with the Iranian ambassador, most likely tomorrow. If not, by next week,” Castro said in Filipino at a Palace briefing.
The planned engagement comes amid escalating hostilities following US and Israeli attacks on Iran that began Feb. 28, and Iranian retaliatory strikes on targets on the US and its allies in the Gulf region.
In response to the US attacks, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical choke points for the energy trade, with around one-fifth of global oil supply passing through it daily. Iranian attacks in the strait have effectively cut off access by tankers to and from oil-exporting Gulf states. The closure has already raised global oil prices dramatically and severely reduced its supply.
Energy-importing countries like the Philippines are particularly vulnerable to such shocks, as the country relies heavily on imported petroleum products to meet domestic demand.
Asia faces the gravest fallout from the war on Iran and is confronting a major energy crisis, a global maritime analytics firm warned Tuesday.
"We think Asia will, for now, be the ones suffering the most," Kpler president Jean Maynier said.
He added that the continent did not have enough energy resources of its own to cover the gap, saying: "It will not be enough in China, it will not be enough to cover in big countries like the Philippines or Indonesia. So it's a real energy crisis." Castro said no specific Philippine-bound vessels have been identified as being at risk so far, and did not say if there were tankers on the way.
“The secretary has not mentioned any specific vessels yet,” she said.
The administration has been implementing a series of interventions, including diversifying fuel sources, securing existing supply contracts, rolling out fuel subsidies for key sectors, and enforcing energy conservation measures across government offices.
Meanwhile, Castro said the government is still consolidating the total cost of its response to the crisis.
“We are currently gathering reports from all agencies. Most probably by next week we can provide the figures,” she said.
The Palace reiterated that maintaining unimpeded fuel flow remains a top priority as global uncertainties persist.
Castro said Marcos’ order to begin talks with Iran was made during a meeting with members of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) Committee earlier this week, an inter-agency body created to address the national energy emergency earlier declared due to the war in the Middle East.
Still, the government has high hopes of a positive outcome, given that “the Philippines has a good relationship with Iran.” As part of efforts to diversify its sources of fuel, the country received its first delivery of more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil last week, procured by Petron Corp., the Philippines’ only oil refiner, with additional 2.48 million barrels expected.
Joint exploration a trap?
Also on Tuesday, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned that a joint Philippine-China joint oil and gas exploration could be a trap.
"Joint development is a trap because joint development means, you go to the website of China, it says joint development means China owns the gas, the oil, all the natural resources," Carpio said in an interview during a visit to Pag-asa island.
"China has [the] sovereign rights. That's from the point of view of China. So why will we accept that?" he added.
Carpio visited Pag-asa Island to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of a Catholic church in the area. He first visited the disputed island 14 years ago when the Philippines was still preparing to contest China’s nine-dash line.
Even the Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterated that China is “not a reliable partner” in energy negotiations considering their coercive and aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) all recorded in video.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, President Marcos raised the possibility that the US and Israeli war against Iran could provide an “impetus” for the Philippines and China to strike a deal in jointly developing oil and gas resources in the contested WPS.
The Chinese embassy in Manila earlier said China’s “door to dialogue” on joint oil and gas development in the South China Sea remains open, but the Philippines must first “demonstrate sincerity” before negotiations can resume.
Filipinos in Israel
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv met with concerned Israeli agencies to safeguard the rights and welfare of Filipino workers and provide them the necessary aid amid the Middle East war.
Philippine Ambassador to Tel Aviv Aileen Mendiola-Rau recently met with Eli Cohen, Israel Hotel Association president, to discuss the current situation of Filipino hotel workers.
There are over 30,300 Filipinos in Israel, majority of whom work as caregivers. The rest are workers in hotels, agricultural students, and missionaries.
The embassy on Saturday said Mendiola-Rau also appealed to Cohen to ensure the Filipino workers' "safety and well-being amid the ongoing conflict in Israel." "The meeting follows recent consultations with hotel workers and discussions with Filipino community leaders across Israel," the embassy posted on Facebook.
The meeting "reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to maintaining open communication and support systems for Filipino workers, including assistance in employment continuity and access to essential services," it added.
The embassy also held a separate meeting with officials from the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority to discuss broader concerns affecting Filipino workers in Israel.
The embassy earlier urged Filipinos to immediately go inside the "mamad" or bomb shelter as soon as they receive an emergency alert.
"No action is required, as the updated expiration date is reflected in the system. These workers may re-enter Israel up to and including Apr. 30," it added. WITH PNA, AFP